I Was The Only Omega In The Beast World-Chapter 57: CP: Heading To Bear Territory

"Rejected a pack lord’s mating proposal this morning," Leo added helpfully. "That was new."

Naga’s eyes widened. "He WHAT?"

"It’s handled," Alex said quickly. "I said no. Very clearly. We left. It’s done."

"Did he accept the rejection?" Naga asked, voice dangerously soft.

"...He said he’d wait for me."

Naga’s scales flared. "He said he’d WAIT— I knew that damn wolf was up to something when his scent kept on changing. "

"Which is his problem, not ours," Alex interrupted. "I was clear. I said no. What he does with that information is up to him."

"Still want to bite him," Naga muttered.

"Get in line," Leo said. "I called dibs on violence this morning."

[Your mates are SO dramatic. I love them.]

"They’re protective," Alex said, then realized he’d spoken out loud.

"Oh yes we are," Leo said, settling on Alex’s other side. "You’re carrying our cubs. Some wolf lord thinks he can just—just PROPOSE after six days like that’s normal—"

"It kind of is normal here," Alex pointed out.

"System says beastmen don’t do the whole ’stages of courtship’ thing. If they like you, they just... go for it."

[EXACTLY! No playing games, no waiting, just pure ’I CHOOSE YOU, BE MY MATE’ energy. No more overthinking. No more wasting flowers on ’ she loves me — she loves me not ’ it’s very efficient!]

"It’s very RECKLESS," Alex corrected.

"What if they choose wrong?"

[Then they deal with it! But usually their instincts are pretty good. Beastmen can sense compatibility—pheromones, energy, all that biological stuff you science-types love.]

"You’re not a science-type," Alex said.

"You’re a interdimensional magical entity."

[I can be BOTH! I contain multitudes!]

Leo was watching him with that fond, exasperated expression that meant he thought Alex was being adorable even when he was clearly losing an argument with an invisible system.

"You done talking to the annoying voice in your head?" Leo asked.

[ How dare you call me annoying? I’m an almighty god system. Countless want but can’t get. ᭄[ ◤ ᓀ□ᓂ ◥ ╬╬ ]

[ I thought you were on my side. ] 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"For now," Alex chuckled. "It’s lecturing me about beastmen mating instincts."

"Ah." Leo’s tail swished. "Well, it’s not wrong. When I knew you were mine, I knew. Instantly. No doubt. Just... certainty."

"Same," Naga said quietly. "The moment I saw you at the river. Everything in me said ’MINE. PROTECT. KEEP.’"

Alex felt his face heat. "That’s... actually really sweet."

"It’s biology," Naga said, but his scales flushed slightly darker. "Doesn’t make it less true."

[AWWWW! Okay this is genuinely touching. I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!]

[Wait, I don’t have tear ducts. Never mind. But still—CUTE!]

They rested for another thirty minutes—Alex dozing against Naga’s coils while Leo scouted ahead, checking for threats and mapping their route.

When they set out again, the forest had changed—pines giving way to deciduous trees, the ground sloping gradually upward, the air cooling as altitude increased.

Bear territory.

[Fun Bear Facts:

They hibernate in winter (it’s late winter now, so they’re probably JUST waking up and VERY HUNGRY)

They’re territorial but not aggressive if you’re respectful

Cubs are sacred—harming a bear cub is punishable by death

They value strength, honesty, and FOOD above all else

The Bronze Stone is kept in their sacred mountain cave]

"How far to bear territory?" Alex asked.

"Three days if we keep this pace," Leo reported.

"Maybe four with rest stops. There’s a trading post at the boundary—neutral ground. We can stock up on supplies there."

"And sweet syrup," Naga added. "Apparently we’re bribing bears with sweets."

"It’s not BRIBING," Alex protested. "It’s... diplomatic gift-giving."

"It is bribing," Leo said cheerfully.

[It’s EFFECTIVE bribing, which is what matters!]

They walked until late afternoon—the sun angling through bare branches, shadows growing long and cold. They made camp in a small clearing, building a fire and settling into familiar evening routines.

Alex sat near the flames, the three divine stones laid out before him on a flat rock.

The Black Stone—black as starless night, absorbing light.

The Golden stone—golden and radiant, pulsing with gentle warmth.

The Silver Fang—crystalline and sharp, humming with life-giving energy.

Three down. Four to go.

[They’re beautiful together. Like they’re singing to each other.]

"Can you hear it?" Alex asked.

[Sort of? It’s more like... feeling harmonics. They resonate at different frequencies, but they’re designed to work together. When you get all seven...]

"We’ll be able to save the world," Alex finished.

Naga and Leo joined him by the fire—one on each side, warm and solid and present.

"Tomorrow we reach the trading post," Leo said.

"Day after, we enter bear territory. Then we figure out how to convince them to trade the Bronze Stone."

"Piece of cake," Alex said with more confidence than he felt.

"You’ve convinced a dragon, wolves, and survived a basilisk," Naga pointed out.

"Bears should be easy by comparison."

[FAMOUS LAST WORDS! Write that down, History!]

"You’re not helping," Alex told the system.

"When does it ever?" Leo asked.

[HEY! I help CONSTANTLY! Who warned you about the basilisk? Who gave you the skill recommendations? Who provides witty commentary during tense moments?]

"That last one isn’t actually helpful," Alex said.

[It’s helpful to ME! Emotional support goes both ways, Host!]

Despite everything—the exhaustion, the uncertainty, the memory of Lucas’s heartbroken eyes—Alex laughed.

Real. Genuine. Free.

"Three down," he said again, touching each stone gently. "Four to go."

"Four to go," his mates echoed.

And as the fire crackled and the stars emerged overhead, three travelers (plus two unborn cubs and one interdimensional system) settled in for the night.

Tomorrow: bear territory.

Tomorrow: new challenges.

But tonight—just warmth, and safety, and the quiet certainty that whatever came next, they’d face it together.

[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "Halfway There!"

Progress: 3/7 Divine Artifacts acquired

Bonus: +25 SP

Current SP: 283

New Title Available: "Stone Collector"

Effect: +10% success rate when negotiating for magical artifacts]

[You’re doing great, Host. Really. Even when you’re breaking hearts and causing dramatic romantic tension.]

"Go to sleep, System."

[I don’t sleep! But I’ll be quiet. Probably. Maybe. ...We’ll see.]

Alex closed his eyes, felt the twins settle into restful positions, felt Naga’s coils tighten protectively and Leo’s warmth press against his back.